No Holds Barred
by Noraque
Summary: Six days before SummerSlam, a contract signing is set up between AJ Lee and Paige - they will compete in a brutal grudge match with a special stipulation for the Divas Championship. No countouts, no disqualifications. Just two women with a visceral hatred of each other. Tweener AJ/heel Paige. Also featuring Stephanie McMahon.


**WWE Raw –August 11, 2014  
Moda Center – Portland, OR  
Six Days before SummerSlam**

"_Ladies and gentlemen, please welcome one of the co-owners of the WWE, Stephanie McMahon_!"

Thousands of fans simultaneously started booing as the woman in question came strutting down the ramp to her personal music. The Chairman's daughter had a very no nonsense look on her face, making no eye contact with the WWE Universe. She carried a clipboard in her hand and was dressed in a black dress. Viewers at home could see the toned muscle in her arms and legs, unsurprising since WWE had been putting out seemingly non-stop videos of her training for her match at SummerSlam with the recently rehired Brie Bella. With nearly six different personal trainers plus her husband Triple H getting her into top shape, few people were putting their money on Mrs. Daniel Bryan winning this Sunday.

Stephanie stepped up the stairs into the ring where a table and two arm chairs were set up in the middle. Taking one of three microphones that were placed on it, she stood in the centre and stared out at the audience. She ignored the boos that continued to rain down on her and stood silent for a few moments. When she judged the noise had dropped to a level where she could be heard, she lifted the microphone to her mouth.

"In this industry," she began, "it takes a strong person to make the hard decisions necessary for what's best for business. And make no mistake about it, each and every one of you is looking at a _very_. Strong. Woman. In six days at SummerSlam, the entire WWE Universe will bear witness to what happens when you cross someone like that. And when the event is over, after I've physically and mentally destroyed Brie Bella, she'll be able to join her B+ player husband Daniel Bryan – your fallen hero - on the 'forced to retire due to injury list.'"

She smirked as the fans showered her in a new wave of boos at her insults towards Bryan. She didn't mind it; she loved it. Seeing all the _regular_ folk hurling jealous abuse at her made her _love_ this part of her job.

"But SummerSlam isn't just about one strong woman," she continued. "The WWE Divas division is at a stage where it has never been before, not just in terms of skill, but of rivalry. In six days in Los Angeles, two of the most talented women in WWE history – who utterly and intensely _despise_ each other - will clash for the Divas Championship. But this will not be just any championship match. Due to the level of animosity these Divas have for each other and the fact that The Authority…" She paused and glared at the crowd as they booed the name that had become synonymous with tyranny. "The Authority has no intention of letting such a historical match end on a mere disqualification, the decision has been made to add a very special stipulation." She held up the clipboard. "So for the first time ever, the WWE Divas championship will be decided in a No Holds Barred Match!"

A rumble went through the audience at the declaration. "What that means is that there will be no count-outs, no disqualifications and no holding back. The only way to win is by pinfall or submission. It's high time someone proved that the women of WWE can do the job just as well as the men." Stephanie looked toward the stage. "So without further ado, I want this contract signed so history can be made this Sunday. Introducing first, the challenger – **PAIGE**!"

A scream echoed over the loudspeakers followed by the hard rock tunes of Stars in the Night as the Norwich, England native walked out. The pale 21-year-old was wearing her usual black ring gear along with a new open leather studded jacket she'd debuted the week after her turn. Paige slowly made her way down the ramp to a mixed reaction; some, mostly little kids were booing her, while others were cheering her like she had just put on a five star match at WrestleMania. One thing everyone noticed was her change in demeanor. The prancing and loud mocking of her SummerSlam opponent she'd shown in the beginning was gone, replaced with a cold, lifeless sociopathic look that seemed to ignore almost everything except what she was focused on, much like Chris Jericho circa 2008. She entered the ring, sat in the chair furthest from the entrance and looked off at the ceiling with a disinterested look on her face.

"And now, the WWE Divas Champion," Stephanie said. "**AJ LEE!**"

A notably larger amount of cheers erupted as the familiar theme of Light it Up began. A moment later they intensified as the Geek Goddess pranced out. AJ was wearing her new camouflage ribcage shirt and matching short shorts, the Divas Championship – her baby as she once called it – perched on her shoulder. The reaction to the native of Union City, New Jersey was also mixed, but there were more positive fans than those booing her. AJ skipped down to the ring but quickly stopped at the end of the ramp as soon as she got a good glimpse of her nemesis. At that moment her eyes turned to stone. She slid into the ring, walked over to the empty chair and slowly sat down.

The fans popped louder as the music stopped and their anticipation for whatever was going to happen grew. Chants of "this is awesome" broke out around the arena. AJ remained motionless, her hard look never once moving from Paige, who continued to stare off in an apparent act of bored defiance.

"Now ladies," Stephanie stated, "the contract that you are about to sign guarantees that not only will you compete in the first ever No Holds Barred Match for the Divas Championship at SummerSlam, it also states that WWE – my family – will not be held responsible for anything that happens in that match. As far as I'm concerned, you two can, and should, beat the living hell out of each other. People are paying to see a quality Divas match. _However_," her face became serious. "If the two of you think that I'm going to allow you to turn a dignified contract signing into a chaotic free-for-all, you are very much mistaken.

"You see, what this contract also states is that any physicality between you two up until SummerSlam is strictly prohibited." The crowd booed this new stipulation; none of the women in the ring acknowledged it. "That means that should either of you physically attack the other before the bell rings for your match on Sunday, it will carry _severe_ consequences for both of you. For you AJ," she turned to the champion, "not only will you be stripped of the Divas Championship on the spot, you will be suspended for six months and ineligible to compete for the championship again for _one full year_."

AJ's jaw ground at this news, but she kept her cool and didn't act. The Divas Championship meant everything to her and she wasn't about to do anything to lose it without a fight.

"Paige, for you… look at me." Stephanie scowled. "I said _look at me_." The British woman turned towards the co-owner with the same cold look. "If you have any physical contact with AJ before SummerSlam, you will be suspended for six months, ineligible from _ever_ challenging for the championship again, _and_ I will personally see that your work visa is permanently suspended. Which means you will never be able to compete for this company again as long as it performs in the United States. And ladies, you _do not_. Want. To test me."

Stephanie's words hung in the air. For everyone watching in the arena and at home, they knew it was not an empty threat. The Chairman's daughter had been on a vengeful streak ever since being arrested and humiliated by Brie Bella in Miami. In the weeks that followed, the WWE Universe had seen how far that streak went. First she'd tricked the recently rehired Brie that her husband had had a horrific accident at their home in Arizona. Then the following week she'd banned Brie from the building and targeted her sister Nikki, putting her in a four-on-one handicap match with the stipulation that her hands be handcuffed behind her back. Nikki was easily defeated, but Stephanie was only getting started. In a scene reminiscent of Triple H and Daniel Bryan before WrestleMania XXX, she'd brutally beaten the helpless Bella twin herself, going as far as to have the other Divas place her head against the steel steps while she delivered a Billion Dollar kick to it. To finish it all off, she'd given her husband's trademark Pedigree to Nikki in the middle of the ring. One thing was clear – this was _not_ a woman you wanted to get mad.

AJ and Paige, whether they thought of this themselves, didn't show it. Their attention was to each other – AJ with silent fury, Paige with cold indifference.

"Now, should you choose to follow the rules, there is no doubt in my mind you will put on one of the best women's matches in WWE history." Stephanie set the clipboard down in the middle of the table. "So let's not waste any more time. AJ, as the champion, you will sign first."

AJ waited for a few moments, watching Paige to see if the pale woman would make any sudden movements. She might end up suspended, but she damn well would defend herself if need be. She slowly grabbed the contract, took the attached pen and quickly scribbled her name on the first line. She shoved the clipboard back into the centre of the table and resumed her watch of her opponent.

"Paige."

Paige stared at AJ unblinkingly for just a moment before taking the contract. She scrawled her signature under AJ's and pushed it away before going back to staring at the ceiling.

Stephanie picked up the clipboard. "It's official. At SummerSlam, for the first time ever, the WWE Divas Championship will be contested in a No Holds Barred Match!"

The fans popped at the announcement that two of the most talented women in WWE history would compete in such a match. Stephanie smirked. _Typical. How easy it is to manipulate them._ "Now that everything's been taken care of, we have a show going on, so if you two wouldn't mind leaving my ring…"

"Not so fast." Paige had taken one of the microphones and now sat staring out at the crowd, who rumbled at the interruption. "Before the show continues, there's something I want to say to my good friend AJ. And I'd prefer to say it with just her here."

Stephanie flushed with obvious anger at being ignored. "First of all, don't you _ever_ interrupt me again, or I'll have your deported back to England in a second. Secondly, I warned you about getting physical before your match. If you so much as throw _one _punch…"

"It's okay." AJ spoke into the other mic. "There's something I want to say to my _frenemy_ Paige too. I don't think there'll be a problem. The contracts are signed. I wouldn't want to do anything to stop the match from taking place. Would you, my little crumpet?"

Paige did look at AJ now, but despite the insult her expression didn't change. "Not at all. Just a couple of girls having a chat."

Stephanie still seemed angry and now was also torn. She didn't like having her authority challenged, but on the other hand she still wanted to do what was best for business. And if a little talk time between two opponents at SummerSlam stirred up more interest – and therefore more money – she couldn't deny it.

Stephanie set her mic down on the table and bent down so only the other women could hear her. "If you disregard my warnings," she said in a dangerous tone, "I'll have both your careers ended before you leave the ring." Contract in hand, she exited via the stairs and strode up the ramp, ignoring the boos that followed her.

The two Divas in the ring stared at each other. Neither of them blinked or moved for what seemed like the longest time. The audience, not used to so much tension between female wrestlers, grew louder. Dueling chants popped up across the arena.

"Let's go AJ!"

"Let's go Paige!"

"LET'S GO AJ!"

"LET'S GO PAIGE!"

"**LET'S GO AJ!"**

"**LET'S GO PAIGE!"**

The challenger for the title raised the mic. "So here we are then," she said. "No deception, no false niceties… just us in our true forms. The most dangerous woman ever to compete in the WWE… and the pathetic little rat holding onto a championship that's not hers."

As the crowd gave a mixed reaction, Paige leaned forward in her chair. "A couple of weeks ago – well, before you blindsided me with that belt – I stood in the middle of this ring and people expected me give them a reason why I did what I did to you in Miami. And I didn't tell them a bloody thing. Why? Because they _already know_. Because _you_ already know."

AJ raised an eyebrow as Paige went on. "When I came out the night after WrestleMania to congratulate you, I thought maybe you would at least give me some sort of acknowledgment. And what did you do? You all but spat in my face. Then when the better woman won your impromptu challenge match, you ran away and hid for months. And after I gave my all every single night, you have to come back and steal _my_ title with a damn _rollup_!

"What did these pathetic hypocrites do?" She gestured to the audience who promptly directed a wave of boos at her. "Did they object to it? Did they call it a travesty? No. They _cheered_ you. They celebrated your victory. And what did they say afterwards? 'Good. About time AJ came back. Paige was boring.'

"So I decided to take a page out of your playbook. I lied to you. I pretended to be your friend. I pretended to respect you." She chuckled. "And to be frank I'm glad you won at Battleground. I can't imagine having to smile at your childish face one more time without breaking it. But believe me, at SummerSlam," she shook her head, "There's not going to be any holding back."

She leaned back and smirked at AJ. "Remember last year when you told the Total Divas that none of them would be able to touch you? Well, I've not only done that, AJ – I've surpassed you. I've surpassed you in every possible way. And to say that I regret doing what I did to surpass you would be a lie because I'm not sorry." She shook her head. "I'm not sorry for a single thing I've done to you. You sit there with those eyes all narrowed and glaring and think you know what it means to be dark and crazy." She leaned forward and stared right at the other woman. "You haven't got a bloody idea what it means to be dark and vicious and violent. This Sunday, I'm going to show you exactly what it looks like. You're not fighting some clueless model who only knows how fight on a reality show. You're not fighting a Total Diva, AJ. You're fighting me. You're fighting… _the Anti-Diva._"

A select few parts of the audience gave a big cheer at the mention of the title. "I'm going to break your spirit, I'm going to break your mind, I'm going to break your body and I'm going to _love_ every second of it. And afterwards, when you're a pathetic broken shell of a woman, I want you to remember who it was that did it to you. A superior wrestler and a superior woman. The new WWE Divas Champion - _Paige!_"

Paige promptly tossed the mic down on the table and leaned back. The crowd rumbled in anticipation, every eye watching the Geek Goddess to see what she'd do. For a few moments, AJ didn't move or break her stare.

Then a small grin appeared on her face. She startled chuckling, which quickly snowballed in a full-on bellyaching laugh. AJ sat back in her chair and put her feet up on the table. "You know, that's really good," she started. "I really have to give you credit, Paige. You got me. You well and truly got me. And the best part is… I should have seen it coming."

She nodded. "Yeah. I should have seen it coming. You know why? Because I did the exact same thing. I took the best friend that I had in this company, and I manipulated her and used her and lied to her and humiliated her – all to win the Divas Championship." She shrugged. "Maybe not the nicest way to go about it, but I never claimed to be a good girl. And here's one thing you _are_ wrong about. I did respect you. I respected you so much that when you first came here, I told everyone 'that's the future of women's wrestling.' Everyone I met, I said 'that's the woman who's going to take my place.' To be honest, I even respected you when you turned on me. At least it was a _real_ attack, one that showed everyone just how serious women can be in this company. So I gotta give you credit for that. But here's what I really want to say to you."

AJ's eyes suddenly turned rock hard as she leaned forward. "If you think for _one second_ that because I respected you I'm going to go easy on you at SummerSlam, you are _dead_ wrong. You weren't only one holding back at Battleground. And as far as being vicious and violent, Paige, don't think about challenging me. There are a lot of ways to punish and torment the human body that I know and you don't know the half of it. This is a No Holds Barred Match, not an afternoon tea party."

Paige showed slight signs of angry reddening on her cheeks. "You know something that's really interesting?" AJ asked. "This Sunday is also the day you're turning the big two-two!" She turned out to the crowd. "That's right! Our lovely little lass here will be turning 22 the day of our big title match!"

She seemed to stare off into space for a moment. "Oh, I remember my 22nd birthday. Such a young foolish age. But I want to give you something really special so you'll remember it. Now I'm sure you'd prefer to walk out with this," she indicated the Divas Championship. "But I don't think I'd be able to fit it into a gift box. And to be honest, I've grown pretty attached to it. But I think I have something that'll make up for it." She grinned. "How about a free tanning session courtesy of your Divas Champion? Something that'll put some colour into that pale face of yours. And the best part is, you can have it in multiple colours! How does black and blue with a coating of red sound to you… _little girl?_"

Paige's face hardened into stone. AJ flipped down the mic and returned the look. The entire crowd rumbled in anticipation. It was clear that talking time was over. The two Divas sat there for a moment, staring at each other.

Then the crowd noise increased as Paige pushed her chair back and slowly stood up. AJ immediately did the same. Slowly the two women walked around the side of the table and stood face to face. The audience broke out into rumbles and chants of 'this is awesome' and 'let's go AJ/let's go Paige!' Everyone in the arena was on the edge of their seat, waiting to see if the women's hatred for each other would override any rules that had been set out for them.

Neither Diva made a move at each other, but they didn't have to. The camera told everything that needed to be told. As they stood barely an inch apart, their looks were unbroken – AJ of a relentless, unstable challenge, Paige of a cold, visceral hatred.

They were wearing the same looks when the camera finally faded to black.

**Inspiration for this story came from the Chris Jericho/Shawn Michaels contract signing before Unforgiven 2008. This is how I'd like to see the storyline – and the characters of AJ and Paige – play out.**

**In case anyone's wondering, Paige is indeed turning 22 the day of SummerSlam. I'll state right now I hope she walks out the champion! Let's go Paige!**

**AJ = hot (CM Punk's a lucky bastard.) But Paige = hotter!**


End file.
